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UniversalUniversal · Ranged

Io

Links to its allies to buff them

SupportNukerEscapeComplex to play
Io portrait

Win rate

49.8%

B across all ranks

Pick rate

4.4%

of public matches

Public picks

147.5K

in the sample

Pro scene

9

8 bans · 78% win rate

Win rate by rank

  • Herald1Herald48.2%
  • Guardian2Guardian48.6%
  • Crusader3Crusader49.2%
  • Archon4Archon48.9%
  • Legend5Legend50.2%
  • Ancient6Ancient50.6%
  • Divine+7Divine+51.1%

Bars start at 50%. Sample sizes: Herald 2.9K · Guardian 9.9K · Crusader 20.1K · Archon 32.7K · Legend 37K · Ancient 24.2K · Divine+ 20.7K.

Last 6 days

49.7%

Popular item build

Starting items

Bought before the horn

  1. 1

    Iron Branch

    55g
  2. 2

    Gauntlets of Strength

    140g
  3. 3

    Tango

    90g
  4. 4

    Sage's Mask

    175g
  5. 5

    Magic Stick

    200g
  6. 6

    Faerie Fire

    65g

Laning

The first minutes

  1. 1

    Helm of Iron Will

    975g
  2. 2

    Helm of the Dominator

    54%2,550g
  3. 3

    Soul Ring

    805g
  4. 4

    Staff of Wizardry

    1,000g
  5. 5

    Bottle

    675g
  6. 6

    Ogre Axe

    1,000g

Mid game

Core items

  1. 1

    Aghanim's Scepter

    53%4,200g
  2. 2

    Black King Bar

    55%4,050g
  3. 3

    Platemail

    63%1,400g
  4. 4

    Maelstrom

    2,950g

Late game

The full build

  1. 1

    Mjollnir

    5,500g
  2. 2

    Shiva's Guard

    4,500g
  3. 3

    Demon Edge

    2,200g
  4. 4

    Satanic

    5,050g
  5. 5

    Mystic Staff

    2,800g
  6. 6

    Crystalys

    2,000g

Most-bought items for Io in OpenDota’s sample of parsed public matches (1,810 purchases counted). Bars compare each item with the most-bought one in its phase. The percentage is the win rate in games where Io bought the item by minute 30 (green or red when it is clearly above or below Io’s average). Teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so a high number shows the item goes with winning games, not that it causes the win. Items with fewer than 100 games show no percentage. Cheap components are hidden from the mid and late game.

Best win rate by purchase time

Bought 12–15 min

  1. Aghanim's Scepter

    99 games

    61%
  2. Mekansm

    61 games

    57%

Bought 15–20 min

  1. Mithril Hammer

    94 games

    66%
  2. Holy Locket

    69 games

    62%
  3. Aghanim's Scepter

    151 games

    48%

Bought 20–30 min

  1. Shiva's Guard

    75 games

    68%
  2. Platemail

    122 games

    59%
  3. Holy Locket

    67 games

    52%

Final items compared within the same purchase window (at least 60 games each), so they are not simply ranked by how late or expensive they are. Still a correlation: a team that is far ahead can buy anything sooner.

What these items do

  • Iron Branch

    55

    • +1 All Attributes

    Use: Plant Tree: Targets the ground to plant a happy little tree that lasts for 20 seconds.

  • Gauntlets of Strength

    140

    • +3 Strength
  • Tango

    90

    Use: Devour: Consumes a target tree to gain 7 health regeneration for 16 seconds. Consuming an Ironwood Tree doubles the heal duration. Comes with 3 charges.

  • Sage's Mask

    175

    • +0.7 Mana Regen
  • Magic Stick

    200

    Active: Energy Charge: Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 10 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.

    Full description

    17s

    Active: Energy Charge. Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 10 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.

    • Gains charges for spells cast by visible enemies in 1200 range.
    • Certain abilities and item abilities will not add charges.
  • Faerie Fire

    65

    • +2 Damage

    Use: Imbue: Instantly restores 85 health.

    Full description

    5s

    Use: Imbue. Instantly restores 85 health.

  • Helm of Iron Will

    975

    • +4 Armor
    • +4 Health Regen
  • Helm of the Dominator

    2,550

    • +6 All Attributes
    • +6 Armor
    • +6 Health Regen

    Active: Dominate: Takes control of one neutral, non-ancient target unit and sets its movement speed to 370 and max health to a minimum of 1000.

    Win rate when bought53.6% · 138 games

    • ≤ 12 min56%126
    • 12–15 min–9
    • 15–20 min–3
    • 20–30 min–0
    Full description

    45s50

    Active: Dominate. Takes control of one neutral, non-ancient target unit and sets its movement speed to 370 and max health to a minimum of 1000. Also provides the unit with +25 base attack damage, +12 health regen, +4 mana regen and +4 armor. Dominated units with a max health of greater than 1000 retain their original max health. Grants the caster 50% of the gold and experience bounty of the dominated creep. Dominated unit's bounty is set to 100 gold and it can no longer be killed by abilities that instantly kill creeps otherwise. The Helm cannot be used for 3 seconds after the dominated creep takes damage from an enemy hero or Roshan.

    • Cannot dominate more than one unit at a time. If a new unit is dominated, the old one will die.
    • Can also Dominate enemy lane creeps and summoned units.
    • Selling Helm of the Dominator will cause dominated units to die.
  • Soul Ring

    805

    • +6 Strength
    • +2 Armor

    Active: Sacrifice: Consume 170 health to temporarily gain 170 mana. Lasts 10 seconds.

    Full description

    30s

    Active: Sacrifice. Consume 170 health to temporarily gain 170 mana. Lasts 10 seconds. If the mana gained cannot fit in your mana pool, it creates a buffer of mana that will be used before your mana pool.

    • If this mana is not used before the duration ends, the extra mana is lost.
  • Staff of Wizardry

    1,000

    • +10 Intelligence
  • Bottle

    675

    Active: Regenerate: Consumes a charge to restore 110 health and 60 mana over 2.7 seconds. If the hero is attacked by an enemy hero or Roshan, the effect is lost.

    Full description

    0.5s

    Active: Regenerate. Consumes a charge to restore 110 health and 60 mana over 2.7 seconds. If the hero is attacked by an enemy hero or Roshan, the effect is lost. The Bottle automatically refills at the fountain. Hold Control to use on an allied hero.

    Passive: Store Rune. Runes can be stored in the Bottle for later use by right-clicking them. Unused runes will automatically activate after 90 seconds. Using a stored rune fully refills the Bottle.

    • Bottle is shareable. Stored runes cannot be shared.
    • Using a stored Bounty or Water rune fully refills the bottle if the bottle was full when the rune was stored; otherwise, it refills two charges.
  • Ogre Axe

    1,000

    • +10 Strength
  • Aghanim's Scepter

    4,200

    • +10 All Attributes
    • +175 Health
    • +175 Mana

    Passive: Ability Upgrade: Upgrades the ultimate, and some abilities, of all heroes.

    Win rate when bought53.4% · 322 games

    • ≤ 12 min–22
    • 12–15 min61%99
    • 15–20 min48%151
    • 20–30 min46%50
  • Black King Bar

    4,050

    • +10 Strength
    • +24 Damage

    Active: Avatar: Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage.

    Win rate when bought55.4% · 177 games

    • ≤ 12 min–0
    • 12–15 min–0
    • 15–20 min–26
    • 20–30 min52%151
    Full description

    95s50

    Active: Avatar. Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage. For the duration of the effect, any negative effect from enemy spells has no effect. Duration: 9 / 8 / 7s Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    • Purchasing another Black King Bar will not reset its immunity duration.
    • Avatar duration is not affected by increases to buff duration.
  • Platemail

    1,400

    • +10 Armor

    Win rate when bought62.9% · 151 games

    • ≤ 12 min–0
    • 12–15 min–3
    • 15–20 min–26
    • 20–30 min59%122
  • Maelstrom

    2,950

    • +25 Damage
    • +25 Damage

    Passive: Chain Lightning: Grants a 25% chance on attack to release a bolt of electricity that leaps between 4 targets within a 650 radius, dealing 110 magical damage to…

    Full description

    Passive: Chain Lightning. Grants a 25% chance on attack to release a bolt of electricity that leaps between 4 targets within a 650 radius, dealing 110 magical damage to each. Lightning proc pierces evasion.

  • Mjollnir

    5,500

    • +25 Damage
    • +90 Damage

    Active: Static Charge: Places a charged shield on a target unit for 12 seconds which has a 20% chance to release a 225 magical damage shocking bolt at a nearby attacker…

    Full description

    35s50

    Active: Static Charge. Places a charged shield on a target unit for 12 seconds which has a 20% chance to release a 225 magical damage shocking bolt at a nearby attacker and 4 additional enemies.

    Passive: Chain Lightning. Grants a 25% chance on attack to release a bolt of electricity that leaps between 12 targets within a 650 radius, dealing 180 magical damage to each. Lightning proc pierces evasion.

    • Static Charge cannot trigger more than once per second.
    • Static Charge's shock deals magical damage centered on hero with the Static Charge. Static Charge's targets cannot be more than 900 range away.
    • Static Charge procs will not bounce to heroes that are invisible or hidden by Fog of War.
  • Shiva's Guard

    4,500

    • +17 Armor

    Active: Arctic Blast: Emits a freezing wave that deals 225 magical damage to enemies and slows their movement by -40% for 4 seconds. Radius: 825

    Full description

    27s75

    Active: Arctic Blast. Emits a freezing wave that deals 225 magical damage to enemies and slows their movement by -40% for 4 seconds. Radius: 825

    Passive: Freezing Aura. Reduces the attack speed of all enemies by -40. Radius: 1200

    • The wave extends at a speed of 400 to a max size of 825.
    • The Arctic Blast follows its caster.
    • Multiple instances of Freezing Aura do not stack.
    • AoE bonuses from multiple Chasm Stones or its upgrades do not stack.
  • Demon Edge

    2,200

    • +40 Damage
  • Satanic

    5,050

    • +25 Strength
    • +25 Damage
    • +25% Lifesteal

    Active: Unholy Rage: Increases Lifesteal percentage to 175% for 6 seconds. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    Full description

    40s

    Active: Unholy Rage. Increases Lifesteal percentage to 175% for 6 seconds. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    Passive: Lifesteal. Heals the attacker for a percentage of physical damage dealt.

  • Mystic Staff

    2,800

    • +25 Intelligence
  • Crystalys

    2,000

    • +32 Damage

    Passive: Critical Strike: Grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 160% damage.

    Full description

    Passive: Critical Strike. Grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 160% damage.

    • Critical Strike does not work against buildings.

Abilities

Tether

12s40 / 40 / 40 / 40

Tethers Io to an allied unit, granting bonus movement speed to both. When Io restores health or mana, the tethered unit gains a portion of that amount. The tether breaks when the allied unit moves too far away, or Io cancels the tether. Tether slows enemies touching it.

MAX TETHER DISTANCE
1000
MOVEMENT SPEED BONUS
6 / 8 / 10 / 12%
HP/MANA TRANSFER
55 / 75 / 95 / 115%
ENEMY MOVE/ATTACK SLOW
15 / 30 / 45 / 60%
DAMAGE PER SECOND
0
  • If you try to tether a unit that is 700 distance or further away from Io, Io will latch on and pull itself closer to the tethered unit (to a distance of 300).
  • The tethered unit will heal faster and will heal even if Io is at full health.
  • Io's movement speed matches the tethered unit's.

Aghanim’s ShardTether damages enemies touching it. Io is healed for 50% of the damage done.

Spirits

15s90 / 100 / 110 / 120

Summon five particle spirits that dance in a circle around Io. If a particle collides with an enemy hero, it explodes, damaging all enemy units in an area around it. Creeps take minor damage from touching a particle spirit, but do not cause them to explode. When its duration ends, any remaining Spirits explode.

CREEP DAMAGE
12 / 18 / 24 / 30
HERO DAMAGE
30 / 50 / 70 / 90
OSCILLATION RADIUS
650
EXPLOSION RADIUS
360
DURATION
15
MOVEMENT SLOW
0%
SLOW DURATION
0
  • After summoning, Io can call the spirits in and out.

Aghanim’s ScepterSpirits now passively spawn around Io constantly every second up to the max. Spirits colliding with enemy Heroes slows them briefly. Can be activated to explode spirits.

Overcharge

25 / 22 / 19 / 16s40 / 60 / 80 / 100

Io gains attack speed, spell amplification, and health regeneration based on max health. If Io is Tethered to an ally, that unit also gains any bonuses granted by Overcharge.

BONUS ATTACK SPEED
35 / 60 / 85 / 110
BONUS SPELL AMP
8 / 10 / 12 / 14%
MAX HEALTH REGEN
0.5 / 0.6 / 0.7 / 0.8%
DURATION
8

Spirits In

Sends the spirits closer to you. Can be toggled on and off.

Spirits Out

Sends the spirits farther away from you. Can be toggled on and off.

Relocate

Ultimate90 / 80 / 70s175

Teleports Io and a tethered ally to any location. After the spell expires, Io and the tethered ally will return to their original location. Double-click to teleport to your team's base fountain.

CAST TIME
3.5 / 3.25 / 3
RETURN TIME
12
  • Enemies receive a visual indicator in the world and on the minimap of the target location during the cast delay.
  • If Io is disabled during the cast delay, Relocate is cancelled.
  • If an allied hero is Tethered, that hero will teleport along with you. You can break the tether at any time to prevent that hero from teleporting with you.
  • Only heroes, creep heroes, and illusions can be relocated.

Equilibrium

Innate

Io gains outgoing damage amplification the closer it is to full health, and Health Restoration and Healing Amplification the closer it is to zero health.

MAX DAMAGE AMP
4%
MAX HEAL AMP
4%
CURRENT DAMAGE AMP
0%
CURRENT HEAL AMP
0%

Talents

-2s Relocate Cast Delay

25

Attack Tethered Ally's Target (50% damage)

+0.2% Overcharge Max HP Regen Bonus

20

-30s Relocate Cooldown

+5% Tether Movement Speed

15

+40% Spirits Damage

+1.5s Overcharge Duration

10

+8 Strength

Base stats

Attributes

  • StrengthStrength19+3/lvl
  • AgilityAgility14+1.6/lvl
  • IntelligenceIntelligence21+1.7/lvl

Universal heroes get bonus damage from every attribute.

At level 1

Damage
21–27
Attack time
1.7s
Attack range
500
Move speed
320
Armor
3.3
Magic resistance
25%
Health
538 (+2.2/s)
Mana
327 (+1.1/s)
Vision day / night
1800 / 800

Recent changes

latest 12 patches
  1. 7.41f
    • Talents:Level 15 Talent Spirits Damage decreased from +50% to +40%
  2. 7.41c
    • Tether:HP/Mana Transfer decreased from 60/80/100/120% to 55/75/95/115%
    • Spirits:Now remembers the radius of the spirits between casts
  3. 7.41a
    • Equilibrium:Max Damage Amp and Max Heal Amplification decreased from 5 + 0.5% per level to 4 + 0.4% per level
    • Talents:Level 25 Talent Attack Tethered Ally's Target Damage decreased from 75% to 50%
  4. 7.41
    • Removed Wellspring innate ability
    • Equilibrium:New innate ability
    • Io always has bonus Outgoing Damage Amp which linearly scales with its health, reaching a maximum of 5% + 0.5% per level at 100% Health. At the same time, Io has Health Restoration and Healing Amplifications which also linearly scale with its health, but reach a maximum of 5% + 0.5% per level at zero Health
    • Overcharge:Now also provides 35/60/85/110 Attack Speed and 8/10/12/14% Spell Amplification to Io and any tethered Allies
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent Strength increased from +7 to +8
    • Level 25 Talent Relocate Cast Delay Reduction increased from 1.5s to 2s
  5. 7.40
    • Base Strength increased from 17 to 19
    • Base Intelligence decreased from 23 to 21
    • Damage at level 1 unchanged (45–51)
    • Spirits:Mana Cost decreased from 100/110/120/130 to 90/100/110/120
    • Cooldown decreased from 22/21/20/19s to 15s
    • Duration decreased from 19s to 15s
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent +12 Attack Damage to Tethered Units replaced with +7 Strength
    • Level 15 Talent +60 Spirits Hero Damage replaced with +50% Spirits Damage
    • Level 25 Talent Unslowable during Overcharge replaced with -1.5s Relocate Cast Delay
  6. 7.39d
    • Spirits:Cooldown decreased from 26/24/22/20s to 22/21/20/19s

Lore

Io is everywhere, and in all things. Denounced by enemies as the great unmaker, worshiped by scholars as the twinkling of a divine eye, this strange Wisp of life-force occupies all planes at once, the merest fraction of its being crossing into physical existence at any one moment. Like the great twin riders Dark and Light, and yet another ancient traveler whose true history is lost to the ages, Io the Wisp is a Fundamental of the universe, a force older than time, a wanderer from realms far beyond mortal understanding. Io is nothing less than the sum of all attractive and repulsive forces within the material field, a sentient manifestation of the charge that bind existence together. It is only in the controlled warping of these electrical waylines that Io's presence can be experienced on the physical plane. A benevolent, cooperative force, Io bonds its strange magnetism to others so that the power of allies might be enhanced. Its motives inscrutable, its strength unimaginable, Io moves through the physical plane, the perfect expression of the mysteries of the universe.

Win rates come from public Dota 2 matches (OpenDota), 3.4M matches counted, refreshed Oct 24, 2026. Tiers use the win rate in the chosen rank: S 52.5%+, A 51%+, B 49%+, C 47.5%+, D below; heroes with too few games are left unrated. Hero data and patch notes are Valve’s. Builds Forge is an unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Valve.